Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.

The Way That the Chips Fall

A/N: If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter.

NEWS: If you would like to see pictures from each chapter of the story, check out the story as it's posted on Wattpad under the same penname! It includes romance scenes with Bella and Jasper, as well as others! So check it out and let me know what you think!– Bella'Xo

Chapter 2: Out of My Mind
(Jasper's POV)

He had to be out of his ever-loving mind.

It was the only reason that he could surmise as to why he could even consider agreeing to this outlandish plan.

Jasper leaned his head back against the headrest of his Bentley and sighed. If he wanted to gain full control of his Uncle's corporation, he needed a wife and he needed one fast.

The sound of his cell phone ringing broke him out of his self-made pity-party and he picked it up and looked down at the caller ID. It was his lawyer, who also happened to be his uncle's lawyer before he passed 11 months ago.

"Peter, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Jasper spoke into the receiver.

"Jasper, how are things going with you? How've you been feeling lately?" The lawyer asked cheerfully.

Peter Whitlock had been their family lawyer for years, and his father along with him. Their families were close, trustworthy friends of the Cullen's and ran their own firm. Not only that, but Peter was Jasper's best friend. They were practically brothers, along with Emmett Swan.

Jasper let out a huff of annoyance, "Things are just peachy, but I know you didn't call to ask me about my health. So cut the idle chit chat and get to the reason why you're calling."

"Ouch," Peter chuckled. "Someone's tense."

"Yeah, well you would be too if you had to be married within a month or loose what you've been working for your whole life." Jasper grumbled as he massaged his temples.

Peter sighed loudly through the speaker, "Jasper, you've known about this since the reading of the will just after your uncle James died. The clause in his will was very specific. He gave you a year to be married from the day that the will was read. What have you been doing that whole time?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well excuse me if I'm not the kind of guy who believes in the whole aspect of marriage. I don't even understand why Uncle James insists this from me in order to own and run Dreamscape, what does marriage have to do with a managing a successful business anyway?" Jasper ranted, feeling the anger and annoyance pumping strongly through his veins.

"You're asking the wrong man," Peter said. "I don't know what your uncle was thinking when he had his will drawn up and added that special clause, but there is nothing I can do about it now."

"Well, you were there, weren't you? Did he say why he wanted this from me?" He pressed.

"We've been over this more times than I can count, Jasper." Peter remarked. "I told you, he never said why, only that you needed a good woman to stand next to you, and that you'll understand when you have one. Call it an incentive, I don't know. I tried to talk him out of it, knowing that this just wasn't you, you don't believe in love, real marriages, or the whole white picket fence deal. But he was adamant that you don't get the company unless you're married. "

It was silent for a few moments before either one of them spoke.

"Listen Jasper, there is no way around this. It only has to be a legal marriage. Nowhere in here does it say that it has to last more than one year. You don't want your uncle's shares to go to Laurent, do you?"

"Hell no," he growled.

"Then proceed with the plan. I'm sure you won't have that much trouble finding some broad to marry you." He could practically hear Peter grinning wickedly through the phone.

"Yeah, whatever," He rolled his eyes.

Peter was right; Jasper would have no problems in finding a woman to pose as his wife for a while, but that was the thing. He didn't just want some girl he was involved with. It was where things got dicey. No doubt they would read too much into it, and begin to expect things from him that he wasn't prepared to give to any woman.

As Jasper had drifted in and out of relationships, one thing became clear – all women wanted marriage, and marriage meant messiness. Fights about emotion. Children tearing them both at the seams, wanting more attention. Needing more space, until the end became the same as every other relationship. Divorce. With children as the casualties. (A/N: Credit for this paragraph goes to Jennifer Probst).

No thanks.

No, he just needed this to be a casual business arrangement with no messy emotions involved. They would have a written contract with certain rules, married in name only.

Avoid entanglement.

Keep things all business.

Do not fall in love.

The arrangement will only be for a year, so the rules shouldn't be that hard to follow. This will be strictly business.

"Hello? Jasper? You there?" Peter's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm here. Listen, I've got to go. I'll call you later for poker." He answered as he ran his hand through his blonde curls.

"Okay man, good luck." He said before hanging up.

As soon as the call ended, Jasper immediately called his sister.

It rang twice before she answered. "Hello brother, dear."

"Hey Rose," He greeted her, jumping right to the point. "You said you know someone who might be willing to… marry me?" He had to force out the words, hating the way that they tasted on his tongue.

"Oh, so you've decided not to ask one of your many sluts who hang on your every word?" She bit back.

"No." He answered, not willing to play into her game.

"Not even that creepy bitch you're dating now? What's her name again?" She baited him.

He gritted his teeth as he responded, "Maria and I are not dating. She's just someone I sleep with on occasion."

Rose snorted through the speaker. "Does she know this?"

Jasper rolled his eyes at this. "Look, it doesn't matter. You said you have someone who might be interested. So who is it?"

She sighed, "It's Bella."

He nearly choked on his morning coffee. "Bella? As in Bella Swan? Emmett's sister Bella?"

"One in the same!" She cheerfully replied.

He began shaking his head, even though he knew she couldn't see him through the phone. "No, no way -"

"Look Jasper," she interrupted me before he could object any further. "You know Bella. She's a family friend and she needs the money. It's the perfect solution and you know it."

"And what makes you think that she'd agree to this, regardless of the money? She hates me, remember?" He hissed.

"She doesn't exactly hate you, Jasper."

"Oh yeah? Then what would you call it?" He laughed humorlessly.

"I would call it a strong dislike." She concluded on a high note.

He snorted. "Is there a difference?"

"Yes," she answered with finality in her tone.

"Care to explain?" Jasper asked.

She sighed, "Look, it doesn't matter. It's been years since you two have seen each other, anyway. High school graduation, right?"

"Yes," He mumbled.

"Things might have changed, and your not that kid any more who used to constantly make fun of her growing up." Rosalie reminded him.

"As I recall, she gave it back just as bad as she got it." He added dryly.

"She didn't start that until high school. Why? I don't know. But I'm sure you deserved it."

"Gee, thanks sis. I'm really feeling the love." Jasper mumbled sarcastically.

"Anyway, at least think about it? I'm sure I can convince Bella to at least meet with you to discuss it." She pressed.

"Fine," Jasper sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I'll let you know when I've decided."

"Great!" She chimed. "Talk to you later! Bye!'

"Yeah, yeah, bye." He grumbled, hitting the 'end' button on the screen before unbuckling his seatbelt and climbing out of the car. He opened the trunk and grabbed his briefcase before making his way through the parking garage towards the elevators.

Bella Swan, he thought to myself.

Boy, did that name bring up memories for him. Sure, Rosalie was right when she said that he wasn't exactly nice to her as they were growing up, but he was just a kid; boys will be boys, and all that.

He hadn't seen her since the summer before he and Emmett had left for college. Sure, the two men didn't attend the same schools, but they kept in touch and saw each other plenty. Jasper had attended Yale like his father had, while Emmett attended Southern Connecticut State University. Both schools were in New Haven, so hanging out when they weren't in class wasn't an issue.

By the time the two men had graduated, Bella and Rose were getting ready to start their own senior year at their schools. He had gotten a job at his Uncle's company and rose through the ranks swiftly. He had gotten his own apartment immediately, never having to move back into his parent's house and began to live his life. Now, he was a billionaire and the CEO of one of the largest corporations in the country.

Jasper began to think about Bella and what she would be doing now. Obviously, not well financially if she needed money bad enough to pose as his wife – if he decides to go through with this and Rose talks her into it.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened up, allowing him to step inside before closing behind him. He hit the button for the lobby and waited to arrive.

He began to deliberate some more about Bella, the topic of Emmett coming up in his thoughts.

What would he think? Would he approve of him marrying his sister?

If there was one thing Jasper knew about his best friend, it was that he loved his sister. So, there would be no way that he would tell him that the whole thing was a sham. He'd never forgive him.

And what if she said no and told him? He could practically hear Emmett's voice as he berated him. He didn't know anything about his Uncle's will and the requirements he needed to have in order to gain full control and ownership of Dreamscape.

The more he thought about this, the more reasons he found not to go through with asking Bella.

The elevator bell dinged and the doors opened, revealing the front lobby. He strode inside and made his way past security, nodding to Amun as he passed. Amun had been a security guard with Dreamscape since long before he started working for his uncle after college. He was a nice Egyptian man with a wife name Kebi and a full-grown son named Benjamin, who'd just graduated from college himself, studying to become a naturalist(A/N: for those who don't know, a naturalist is a scientist who studies nature – lol – I tried to keep the characters as close to the twilight novel as I could). He had dinner with the family once before and had met Benjamin's college girlfriend, Tia. She had just graduated, as well, and was studying law. (A/N: since Tia's gift in Twilight her high awareness of what was right and wrong).

Jasper made his way over to the elevators that led to the upper floors and pressed the button, waiting for the elevator to arrive before stepping inside and hitting the button that took him to his office on the top floor of the establishment.

As the floor numbers began to change, he began to think to himself, envisioning his trophy wife.

The stunning supermodel he was currently dating - and he used that term very loosely - was perfect for social functions and great sex, but definitely not for marriage. Maria was a sharp conversationalist and he enjoyed her company, but he was afraid that she was already falling in love with him. He knew that no mater how delicately he laid out the ground rules of a marriage for her, emotion would most certainly ruin it. She'd become jealous and demanding, like any normal wife.

Then there was Nettie. She was a smart and sophisticated brunette, a lawyer that he met up with on occasion when Peter's law firm held social functions. She was as sharp as a tack and kinky in the sheets with that naughty professor feel to her. However, coming from money herself, she would only be in it hoping to get something more from him, just like the rest of the women he'd broken up with when they wanted to take things to 'the next step'. So she definitely wouldn't work.

Another name that came to mind was a doctor who worked at one of his father's hospitals, a woman named Lucy. She was a bombshell blonde who he'd met up with at several charity events that his parents put together. She was dedicated and fun to talk to, however, she was a workaholic, much like him only worse. Not to mention, she was one of those women who claimed that their internal clocks were constantly ticking and were desperate to have a child. No, he could already imagine the cluster-fuck that would cause. He could hear it now, "Oops, the condom broke! Oh well!"

Just then, the elevator doors opened and he stepped out onto his floor and made his way down the corridors towards his office.

"Good morning, Mr. Whitlock," His secretary smiled brightly at him.

He nodded to her politely, "Good morning, Alice." He stopped in front of her desk where she sat. "Any messages this morning?"

"Yes sir," she responded, picking up a small pile of notes from next to her phone and handed them to him. "Also, your ten o'clock meeting had to reschedule."

His eyes shot down to hers in surprise. "Mr. Black? Did he say why?"

She shook her head, "No sir. All he said was that there was a delay on the project proposal so he had to reschedule with you for a later time after the finer details were all hammered out."

"That's all?" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, sir." Alice looked down at her desk as if it were her fault that the meeting had to be rescheduled.

He immediately corrected her assumptions, unable to let her delusions continue. "Don't be sorry, Alice. It's not your fault." As she looked up, he smiled at her. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

She immediately returned his smile and nodded, "Of course, sir."

Jasper made his way over to the double doors that led to his office, closing them behind him with a sigh.

Alice...that was an idea. She was young and beautiful with her short pixie-like hair cut with slim features. She was energetic, a go-getter, which was why she'd gotten the job as his assistant/secretary over the hundreds of other applicants. She was sweet and always knew how to get him exactly what he'd asked for. She didn't have more money than what he'd paid her each week, so her compensation would be well worth her time. He'd never slept with her though, not wanting to bring his personal life into the work place, and wasn't sure if he wanted to now. It would cause too many problems. Not to mention, with her personality and from what he knew about her, she was an eternal optimist when it came to love and would no doubt read more into the situation than what it was and he really didn't want to have to find and train a new assistant when the year was up.

Jasper collapsed into the chair behind his desk and let out a long huff as a picture of him and his sister caught his eye from off to the side.

She'd suggested Bella Swan?

He began to think it over, not really having much of a choice at this point.

Bella Swan...

He hadn't seen her in years, so he couldn't say whether or not if she'd fit the bill for his usual type of woman. However, from the older pictures of she and Emmett that his friend had at his house, she did have a classic type of beauty to her. He wouldn't have to worry about her falling in love with him either. She hated him, after all. She also needed the money.

The more he thought about it from an objective standpoint, the more he was coming to realize that he didn't have much of a choice.

Picking up his phone, he began to dial Rose, who picked up on the third ring. "Well?"

He closed his eyes, releasing a slow breath. "Set it up."

A/N: There you go! Second chapter posted. Any thoughts? What do you think of Jasper and what's happening so far? Any thoughts on what will happen when Bella and Jasper see each other again? I'd love to hear what everyone thinks!

If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!

To see more, go to my page: Xo Bella Italiana oX

If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Stories that need beta'ing. I will accept OC characters as well as other Fan Fiction stories aside from Twilight depending on the other lead character. PM me for details!
- Bella'Xo -
Xo Bella Italiana oX